Moorea, French Polynesia

French Polynesia is made up of some 130 islands, of which Tahiti is the best known. Just 12 miles across the lagoon from Tahiti lies Moorea. To discover the Polynesia of Melville, Gauguin and Michener, you must visit Moorea.

This former haunt of Tahitian royalty is a place where you will still see fishermen paddling outrigger canoes, pareo-clad women strolling along the roads and children fishing from island bridges.

It is an island of steep vertiginous mountains where most of its 14,000 people live along the narrow coastal shelf, with a backdrop of lush green mountains rushing upwards to fill the sky.

Afareaitu

Enjoy the white-sand beaches and acquaint yourself with the friendly residents of Moorea's main community.

Papetoai

This north shore village boasts the oldest European building, an octagonal church, still in use in the South Pacific.

Cook's and Opunohu Bays

These fjord-like bays give the island its distinctive butterfly shape.